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For more than 70 years, FloraLife has been solving the postharvest care and handling needs of the cut flower industry. We support the entire cut flower distribution chain from harvest to vase; from growers to wholesalers; and from supermarkets and retail shops to the consumer. Our products provide an ultimate enjoyment experience for the end consumer with solutions for pretreatment, hydration, transport & storage, and final food solutions for nourishment & conditioning.

It all started back in 1938 when the very first fresh cut flower food was invented by Floralife. Its beginning was a joint venture between a successful commercial grower of roses, William Bussert, and a Chicago, Illinois cut flower wholesaler, James Sykora, Sr. of the Amling Co. Early advertising for Floralife® products featured famous 20th Century-Fox movie star actress, Joan Bennett. With promotional success, additional floral innovations soon followed, leading to the breadth of products available today.

A privately held company until 2006, the company was sold to Rohm & Hass, the worldwide chemical conglomerate. Shortly after in January 2007, the Smithers-Oasis Company acquired the organization, as the two product lines are highly complementary. Smithers-Oasis is best known worldwide for its OASIS® brand Floral Foam, the world's first water-absorbing foam invented by V.L. Smithers in 1954. The product revolutionized the floral industry by offering florists a way to hydrate flowers while securing them in the desired arrangement. Today, OASIS® Floral Foam and floral accessories are used by florists around the world.

The corporate headquarters for Floralife is located in Walterboro, South Carolina U.S.A. Among tall pine trees which bring this southern region charm, this facility houses sales, manufacturing, warehousing, and research facilities all under one roof. The Floralife® product line is based upon years of research and development. With offices and laboratories worldwide in the most important flower trading countries in the world, testing is conducted based upon customer and market needs. Ongoing research has resulted in greater knowledge of the performance of specific plant types, resulting in enhanced products and services.

William Bussert –a successful commercial rose grower– and James Sykora, Sr.–a cut flower wholesaler of Amling Co. in Chicago, Illinois– set things in motion with a joint venture in 1938. FloraLife got its start with the invention of the very first fresh cut flower food. Floralife, Inc. was a privately held company until 2006, when it was sold to Rohm & Hass, a worldwide chemical conglomerate. In 2007, Smithers-Oasis Company –a worldwide leader in floral foam and design accessories– acquired Floralife. With expanded distribution and research capabilities across the floriculture industry worldwide, our family of companies now offers the full circle of flower care and floral design products.

Located among the tall pine trees of Walterboro, South Carolina, the FloraLife facility houses our sales, marketing, manufacturing, warehousing, and research facilities. Our FloraLife research staff of Ph.D. scientists and research specialists is dedicated to optimizing the quality of fresh-cut flower life. Around the world, we have strategically located research facillities in major flower markets, which include FloraLife’s headquarters in Walterboro, South Carolina, as well as, at Smithers-Oasis Company facilities in Kent, Ohio; Nairobi, Kenya; Naaldwijk, Holland; Miami, Florida; Funza, Colombia; and Chunan, Chung do City, South Korea. In each location, we work closely with the local industry to solve the challenges of flower chain.

Our postharvest research laboratories publish regular research reports, which are available to the public. In our Walterboro, South Carolina laboratory, Chief Scientist Anil Ranwala, Ph.D. publishes our research updates for the entire fresh flower chain. Our updates include relevant and quantified data on a variety of fresh cut flower life cycle topics. Ongoing research has resulted in increased knowledge of the performance of specific plant types, resulting in enhanced products and services. The FloraLife® product line is based upon years of research and development.

FloraLife has a long history of involvement in the floriculture industry and is recognized for its active role as a leader in the cut flower industry.